Early Retirement Extreme Forums

Still haven't been able to secure a place. Job starts on July 17th. I should probably make a back-up plan.

Maybe purchasing a van and living in the parking lot? Or air BnBing for a few weeks should it come to that? Meh, back to Cl.

Aha! A turn of events, a flip of the switch!

I found a room for $700 including utilities a mere 2.4 miles from the gig. Skype call tomorrow in the morn.

Why don't your consider living in a van more?

I thought about doing the Van Plan. But there are many factors to be resolved.

The good news is that there are two gyms .2 to .5 miles from the Office building I'm in. I can shower there and maybe have a locker room. I'm guessing I might be able to park there permanently? I might also be able to keep some clothes at the Office.

My reservations are in inviting guests over to my place, cooking meals with all of my fancy clothes in the van, dealing with the cold during a New England Winter, and trying to maintain a middle class facade while living in a van.

What do you all think about these reservations - are they well founded, or can they be resolved well enough for the plan to work?

Alright, @#% it, let me entertain the idea. This isn't C40's Cribs version, but it might do.

What if, I get a typical used work man's van in working condition. I place a horizontal twin mattress in the back. I install a fold-up desk and a fold-up chair. I place some shelving as a pantry. I use an Igloo cooler for perishables. I get an inverter strapped to the battery to charge my laptop and phone, or a portable charger that I charge at the Office. I have books from the library. I do exercise outside or at the gym. I buy a large container to hold water. I shower in a bucket in the van, or at the gym. I pee in the van with a specialized "bucket", and poop at the gym. I have dates only in public spaces, and invite the bohemian folk over to the van only, and after thorough vetting. I can drive out to a nice park if more privacy is desired on the weekends. I can improve the van over time. I keep my fancy clothes in a gym locker, or in the van on a clothing rack. I eat a raw diet in the van, because I don't want to cook in there. I tell my co-workers my place has a no-visitor policy from the landlord (moi).

This still leaves a few questions unresolved.

1. How do I keep cool during the summer? It's 85 degrees today in White Plains.
2. How do I keep active/warm in the winter. In January, the temperatures can drop down to 5 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. What if I have a run in with the law and they say living in a vehicle is illegal? I'd need a back up place ASAP or risk losing the job.
4. How do I keep the co-workers from finding out? What are the possible repercussions if they do find out?

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TBH, as I'm writing all this out, it actually sounds doable. During winter, lots of warm things can be used. During summer is still tough. I could have a back-up rooming situation on hand. And I could just not talk about it with anyone.

Thoughts? Have any of you worked a professional white-collar gig while living in a van?

I don't remember if you lived in a van before.
But for guests, you can take them to places around white plains, and cook outside there. I don't know the area at all. But from google map, it looks like you might have plenty of nice place within a few miles range. This solves the cloth problem. But anyway, If you store them properly, unless you only cook fried fish and bacon or molten cheese, I don't see how it could be a problem.
Concerning the winter, get a good sleeping bag, and sleep with some windows open to avoid moisture to accumulate.
If you never drive, it could become a problem. But If you drive a little bit every day, your car ventilation will dry it very quickly.
You'll get used to cold and warm. As far as I know, we belong to the same specie, so you're body should be able to cope with it.

Concerning the facade, I don't know. I don't feel discriminated since I live in a car. Every one is nice about it including cops. But I don't have to work.
I think I never had a facade to begin with and It was hard to get a job, and it would still be hard now. But living in a van doesn't restrict your hability to cut your hairs and wear clean clothes. I don't know how it would be around white plains. I don't know the cop culture there.

Finding a cheap vehicle adapted for this might be long, and you don't know the area yet.
What I would do if I where you, is start with renting, and while looking for a van, go on bike tours all around the area to look for nice places to park. Both downtown and in nearby forest, or along the shores of lake and rivers around. Try to know how the cop are there. Try to know what youre coworker will think of it.
This should help you to know if you want to live in a van around white plains. But I moved in my car because It looked easier than staying in my house or renting an appartment.

Why not buy a travel trailer and park it in a mobile home park? All these van-conversions seem like they are driven by a combination of fashion and a cheaper way to get a class-B RV (and sell it again after the adventure is done). However, you won't be driving the thing around, so why put a motor in your home?

1) This problem would be solved with a TT. They have AC.
2) Also solved with a TT. They have heaters ... but winter is going to cost you a lot of propane (see 7wb5 Take-3 thread). Also, they have toilets and showers.
3) Problem solved if you pay $300-500/month in a mobile home park. It's also possible you can get 6 month leases in a regular campground.
4) You don't talk about it. They don't care, or they may be slightly curious. If you buy an old airstream, you might even get street cred.
https://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/rvs/6172945124.html However, I've observed that many twenty-something finance types figure themselves to be ballers and thus like to go out and eat and post their food on social media several times a week. This would be less convenient if you live in the sticks. This could have some influence on your relation to your colleagues. (This is a standard frugal problem i.e. "all my friends always want to go out and blow $50 on a meal, how do I ... ")

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJhYCPnmjfU (the front kitchenette folds down into a second bed)

It gets really really cold in white plains in the winter...

Cold really isn't a problem.

I find that really hard to believe. Have you ever slept in a car in the northeast of the US in the winter? I have, and I don't see how it would be tolerable as a permanent living situation.

Okay I see in your other thread you slept in 14 F at the coldest, it will for sure get colder than that in White Plains in the winter.

Never, but I had minus 15°C this winter, and camped by minus 30°C a few years earlier.
At minus 30°C, i had a good sleeping bag.
But for minus 15°C a duvet was enough.

If I find a camp ground within biking or bus distance, that' sounds cool too. Google Maps to the rescue?

How long will you be staying in White Plains?

Anything longer than a year and I would +1 the TT (or similar) solution. You still have a month and you have a good amount of savings in the bank. Hire someone with a truck to move/park it. Fix it up and make it nice. Once you are done you can sell the TT again for more than you bought it for.


As far as the awkwardness of that goes, I can't really speak to this, being somewhat oblivious to my own effects, but true friends will think what you're doing is awesome.

@cmonkey:

I will be staying in White Plains for at least 3 years. The TT sounds like a really cool idea that could save me tens of thousands.

The question is where do I park one though? I can't seem to find many campgrounds a few miles from 10604.

Should I make a post on CL asking for someone's lawn? Or a parking spot? I wonder if this is even legal lol

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I did find this discouraging quote:

"Most cities do not allow full time motor home or travel trailer living on property located within city limits. In fact, many do not even allow people to park their vacant rigs beside their homes!"

https://axleaddict.com/rvs/Can-I-Live-I ... y-Property

My brain hurts with all this pros n' cons analysis ._.

Olaz wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 13, 2017 1:14 pm

The question is where do I park one though? I can't seem to find many campgrounds a few miles from 10604.

How hard have you tried?

The blog have several posts on how to go about it. Also explained in the FAQ.

@jacob: not very, just tried looking up some campgrounds near White Plains on Google Maps. Closest one seems to be 70 mi away : )

Care to help please?

Retire now with:

https://up.craigslist.org/roo/6132868020.html

Hahaha! That's awesome!

This must be a fun way to motivate ourselves. Find a really cheap place that is already <= our SWR.

You'd be looking for mobile home parks.